About Us

Purpose

The life-affirming effort of aiding women, children and families in and around pregnancy necessarily includes the promoting and providing housing resources and extended care. Strong housing services are the result of committed individuals and organizations striving for excellence in all areas. To inspire excellence among maternity home providers and articulate a collective voice, leaders from various housing organizations formed the National Maternity Housing Coalition (NMHC).

We value all housing efforts that seek to overcome the challenge of homelessness. We know that there are many valuable organizations and heroic individuals who give tirelessly to provide housing. For a variety of reasons, we have limited our current coalition to life-affirming maternity homes with a Christ-centered leadership and/or service model.

The facilitator of the NMHC is Heartbeat International, formed in 1971 as an affiliation organization for life-affirming, pregnancy-help outreach. NMHC members will enjoy reciprocal affiliation in Heartbeat International and in its affinity group for housing. Learn more about Heartbeat International at:

For Service Providers: www.heartbeatservices.org
For the general public: www.heartbeatinternational.org

Leadership

The National Maternity Housing Coalition is lead by a governing Council elected from its membership. The Council operates in a partnership agreement with the leadership of Heartbeat International to actively serve, promote and facilitate affiliate activities and programs.

• Valerie Humes, Director of National Maternity Housing Coalition + Housing Specialist
• Kesha Franklin, Lifeline Village, Alabama
• Susan Barrett, Aid for Women, Illinois
• Amber Hornsby, Esther Homes, Minnesota
• Leona Bicknese, Road to Hope Maternity Home, Oregon
• Peggy Forrest, Our Lady's Inn, Missouri
• Suzanne Burns, MS, CFTP, Foundation House Ministries, Tennessee
• Sue Baumgarten, LifeHouse of Houston, Texas 
• Beckie Perez, 29:Eleven Maternity Home, California 
• Vicki Krnac, Hannah's Home, Ohio
• Vanessa Rock, Good Counsel Homes, New York

Connect

Housing Leaders may participate in our online Facebook group specifically for those actively involved in operations of a maternity home.  The forum is a great place to pose key questions, build relationships with other homes, and engage in discussion of issues impacting our common work.  Please seek out the group page and ask to be a member.